


Redemption by Fire

by Skylarium_Rose



Series: Chronicles of Royalty [4]
Category: Godzilla (2014), Godzilla: King of The Monsters (2019)
Genre: Animal Behavior, Dominance Displays, Gen, Godzilla is always a mood and in a mood, Monarch scientists are confused and intrigued always, Mothra is a good Monster Queen, Other, Rodan is trying his hardest... really, Symbiotic Relationship, Titan Instincts, aka they’re totally married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-14 00:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20591804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylarium_Rose/pseuds/Skylarium_Rose
Summary: When the Fire Demon of Isla de Mara is pardoned from his self-imposed exile he strives to be as loyal as possible and repay the Queen Alpha for her kindness. But while he’s trying his hardest to be a good beta his actions are taken the wrong way.





	Redemption by Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!!!  
It’s been awhile — 8 whole weeks! How could I leave y’all for so long? 
> 
> But either way I'm glad to be back with the next installment of my Godzilla series and with my favorite fire bird. I have, from this update, watched his scene exclusively eight times since I bought the blu-ray. It never gets old 😆!
> 
> Other notes; like the lovely headcanons for Paragon and Champion come from Godzilla’s big fat [diary](https://godzillas-big-fat-diary.tumblr.com/tagged/mothra) tumblr. Also I've fallen into the idea of letting the Kaijus talk more, because it's just fun and have you seen the faces they make. Perfection.
> 
> Also, also, near the end of this fic I will be the closest I've ever been to a PG/PG-13 rating in this series.

“Any changes?" Kiyo asks as she walks back into the command hub.

“None," Her husband answers, "He’s definitely settled down though. He did fly around the globe twice.”

“Yes, but he’s done that before and not grown tried.” She asks, slightly concern.

“This time he was carrying chucks of rocks from other volcanoes.” Shigeru says and Kiyo remembers that they were monitoring him for that and het worry is immediately quelled.

With a teasing smile Kiyo answers, "You might be on to something.”

Shigeru smiles back before looking to the live feed from the drones with the accompanying screens showing the vital signs of the massive flying reptile.

The Kawamuras were one of the many Monarch couples that came about from working on extended projects at outposts. They had met four years ago when they were sent to Isla de Mara as a design group for Rodan’s original containment. Shigeru was one of the engineering heads, having a specialty in designing structures to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis. Kiyo was a volcanologist sent to work with the biologists that had concentration in extremophiles and help them understand the similarities and differences with Rodan's physiology in a volcanic environment. And somehow they kept running into each other. Chance meetings become lunch by the caldera, which turned into outings to the city, to evenings visiting the town below that turned dates, and finally a wedding on the warm sands of the beach.

Now two years after Incident Zero, Monarch was expanding and continuing the research of the Titans while the world was making more progress in cleaning up the damages of the Titans' rampage. Most areas were abandon, but some areas were salvageable and were well on the way to becoming functional as they were before Ghidorah's call. And with almost every superpower country having some severe damaged to it's land national trivialities had cooled for now as every government helped their allies, and sometimes their enemies, just so the world could return to some semblance of normalcy. At least as much as they could now with skyscraper-size titans lumbering around.

And as the world had to change Monarch made changes too. With a directive to protect the Titans the science agency had to become more diplomatic to validate some of their decisions, even joining the now political stronger UN in the National Assembly. But most of the political matters didn't bother the bulk of the Monarch's employees as they continued to make new discoveries about the Titans they had come to respect and the Kawamuras were some of those employees. They were assigned to the collection of islands around Fuji to set up a new station, Outpost 65, and to monitor Rodan's active and nonthreatening movements. Most days were filled with collecting data and changing old data they had previously when he was in hibernation.

The Titan made many flights and most were contained to the Ring of Fire and only along the coast, only deviating a few times. Most of these trips would involve him checking out the volcanoes and sometimes eating the rocks out of the craters. Kiyo found studying Rodan during this time was actually very beneficial to citizens that lived near a volcano. Rodan’s patterns helped greatly with mapping still active volcanoes and other possible eruptions. He tended to rest on or in active volcanoes, eat from one that would then have minor eruptions in the following days, and collected rocks and lava from active ones only to add them to his new volcano. This pattern led to new leaps in tracking volcanism. They caught it by accident when studying Rodan during the winter that he would make sub-vocal calls within his roars, even a higher frequency then bats, but only measuring 60 decibels thus hiding the discovery till now. He used a type of echolocation on volcanoes to know if they were active enough as it was penetrating through the magma and was able to send back pings of moving tectonics. Recreating the clicks had been tough, but it had successfully saved Hawaii and Ryūkyū-ko from citizens being caught in the outpour of lava with recent violent eruptions. 

But it wasn't always this peaceful at Outpost 65.

Within two weeks of Rodan settling in and most of the tourists leaving after watching him nest, Kiyo witnessed the terrifying confrontation between Rodan and Godzilla.

The King of the Monsters had made his presence known before any of their instruments even registered him. First Rodan, who had been casually flying around the island chain came diving back to his volcano at record speeds, bringing gigantic waves with him that crashed unto the beach. Then just off the shallows a row of monstrous dorsal plates ominously rose from the ocean before finally the sensors started screaming '_TITANUS GOJIRA!_' cluing the team in.

While the king doesn't completely surface he starts to menacingly circle the island. And if that wasn't bad enough his plates' start to rhythmical pulsate his iridescence blue. The glow sets the tense outpost into a dizzying panic as Godzilla starts to circle the island faster creating waves that batter the shore. But only after eight times does he submerge leaving the base shaken, on high alert, and their resident Titan terrified. Rodan did not leave the volcano for a week, even though he could fly. And on top of that he stayed in a hyperactive state; constantly moving around in the caldera, watching from different sides for any movement on the ocean, and his heart rate spiked randomly for unknown reasons. During all of this Rodan doesn't sleep, but after half a month and no signs of Godzilla he does rest, quite possibly passing out from exhaustion and stress.

After that harrowing encounter life on the small island chain calmed considerably, with nothing more than five other mild eruptions in the following two years.

Or so they thought.

**ラ**

**ド**

**ン**

“This is truly amazing,” Dr. Elle Rivera, their resident ornithologist, sighs again as one of her intern nods eagerly as he focuses on the surprisingly new behavior.

Shigeru completely agree, though he was one of the few that still viewed Rodan with respect instead of fear, so anything he did was amazing. But he was glad that others were starting to see him as a curious and docile – sometimes – Titan. They had caught him peaking over the caldera's ridge when they would place sensors and cameras out and after the first two times when he broke them so he could observe them. According to Dr. Rivera the scans from his hibernation and now proved that he had the eyesight of an eagle, but times six! But to stop him from destroying their equipment rotations were set along with the instructions to do some activity and make sure it was in front of the camera so they could monitor Rodan’s reactions to human behavior.

But today the monitoring was one-sided. 

Situated in a tent about 1000m away from the flying Titan, so that they didn’t blow away when he lifted off with his cargo, the team watches as Rodan descend. 

It wasn’t every day that Rodan actually walked across the island in his prehistoric gait, so it was always fascinating to see him move around on land than in the sky. The team of four watched as Rodan makes his way down the gentle sloping side of the volcano again and through the trampled and smoldering vegetation – where most of the base’s personnel was keeping the burning to a minimum – before easing his way onto the beach and into the shallows. Then ever so gently he lets the lava in his beak drip out and into the ocean, building crescent shape structures of pumice. Once he’s exhausted the lava he would gently pry the items lose with his claws and beak before flying them back to his nest where Kiyo and her team radioed back that he was placing them in odd patterns around the slope and the opening of the crater. This was the third time today he had preformed this action.

As he lets the last of the six rock formations cool he goes to the first one he made and begins to pry it up, the still steaming rock not bothering him at all.

“Why do you think he’s doing this to his nest now?”

Looking back to Dr. Robert De Luise, a cryptozoologist from the last Rodan outpost, he looks up from his laptop with a perplexed expression.

“I mean he’s already made his nest. And it's been two years. So why change it now? That’s all I’m saying.”

“That is true, but birds often change their nest when something new is happening or because it's apart of their nature,” Rivera tells him as she never looks away from Rodan as he gently pushes water of the structures with his wings to firm up his last one, “They have the instincts for it like how bowerbird and black-headed weaver decorate their nest for potential mates. And remember we don’t know much about his kinds lifestyle, this is all purely speculation.”

“I understand that,” De Luise says before looking to Rodan solemnly, “I just wish there were more.”

"What do you mean?” Rivera's intern, Caleb, ask looking away from his notes.

"He is a last of his kind.” Shigeru says quietly, beautifully stated by Rodan slowly returning down the side of the volcano with another beak full of lava.

Rivera nods sadly, “Dr. Chen, the late Dr. Graham, and Dr. De Luise discovered cave drawings in the United States’ Mammoth Cave dating back to the early Pliocene that depicted a great dying off of them. It’s been eight years and we still aren't sure why. But around the volcano of Chichonal in Francisco Léon there were caves with alters and cravings dated to 11,000 years old with three Rodans, a family, cut into the walls.”

“During the trip we also discovered spoken legends of the fire demons in the Soconusco that talked of the three winged beasts,” De Luise jumps in, “They were told to us and we had them transcribed and recorded. And though we found what we were looking for and more we found out something tragic. That the parents of our current Rodan were killed when he was still young.”

“What happened?” Caleb asks quietly.

“The larger one, the one we assumed is the mother, was defeat in a battle with a serpent that came from the sea and spat water that ate through her burning skin. They killed each other and later a MUTO attacked and killed the father while the smallest fled north towards the gulf, to beginnings of Isla de Mara.” De Luise says softly and looks to the Titan sadly, “From there the legends have only a singular flamed beast staring in their stories.”

“That’s so sad. He was left all alone.” Caleb looks back towards the lone Titan.

“Yes. But it is nothing new in the wild.” Rivera reminds them sadly.

With Rodan’s story hanging over them they watch morosely as he works through his fourth beak full of lava.

CHHIIIRR CREEEEEE!

Without any warning the peaceful afternoon is soon graced with a song of trills, whistles, and screeches becoming inexplicably clear. It’s so hypnotic and beautiful that they all can’t help but to turn around, only to see the ocean waves lapping at the shores.

_ HHRRREEUUCUUKKK! _

Turning back quickly at the distressing sound, they watch Rodan as he continues to make those worrying coughing noises as he spits up the rest of the lava into the ocean and his indifferent posture becomes jagged as he turns towards the wondrous sound with fear.

Looking back, Shigeru can’t see what was coming because of the sun’s glare. But before he can use his binoculars to see just beyond the horizon the engineer sees that whatever it was wasn’t the sun’s rays as the brightness ceases and something comes into view. 

Sunset glimmering wings, powerful wingbeats pushing the water back in arching waves, and a presence of something wondrously indescribable.

Mothra, Queen of the Monsters.

But her beauty cannot be enjoyed as their attention is taken in by the sudden wind from the desperate fluttering of Rodan who is looking every which way with frantic movements. Before he can take off rumbling can be felt nearby and Shigeru watches, awestruck, as the King of the Monsters dramatically raises from the ocean with his plates lighting up in a display of blues like his last terrifying visit.

He lumbers forward, but stays in the far shallows glaring and never roaring. The lack of action sets Shigeru’s fear higher – wondering what this could mean and what was about to happen. So much so that he didn’t see Mothra land and only noticed her again when she walks over them, barely disrupting the sand and not touching any of their equipment, gracefully continuing towards Rodan.

“What is happening? What’s she doing? She’s gentle isn’t she?”

Caleb asks frantically and Shigeru can't find his voice as he watches her close in on the now bowing Rodan, cowering in fear.

As they wait with baited breath no one moves an inch until Mothra raises her fold wings up and makes them flutter, causing golden dust to fall. With her blocking the way they can't see what happens next, but whatever it is it has Godzilla snorting and leaning menacingly forward. The tense atmosphere of the beach is punctuated with chirps, clicks, huffs, and growls before Mothra steps away from Rodan and flies off. Godzilla follows shortly after, but not before glaring at Rodan a few seconds longer. As he dives into the ocean everyone lets out a sigh of relief that they weren’t caught in the middle of a one-sided fight and that Rodan was alright.

"Hey. Look!" De Luise exclaims, pointing to Rodan as he turns around to fly off with the two structures he was able to make.

He was pointing to where the smoking puncture wound over his rib cage was, but now they could see that it was healing over before their very eyes!

Mothra, somehow, must have healed the wound she inflicted on him and Shigeru couldn't be happier. And in that moment he realizes how attached he had grown to the flying reptile. Monarch’s introduction classes had warned about the high possibility of forming attachments to a Titan, but he hadn’t believed them. Well with an epiphany prompted by titanic royalty it had to be true.

**ラ**

**ド**

**ン**

He-he was pardon? He wasn't going to be killed?

As Rodan looked at his healing skin he still couldn't believe it. And looking back to the King Alpha, neither could he, but it was an unspoken rule that what the Queen Alpha says, goes.

He didn't truly deserve this, he knew that.

After siding with Ghidorah for his own survival and trying to actively kill Mothra instead of incapacitating her Rodan was ready to live out the rest of his (long) existence alone. Again. This time exiled from the rest of the Order since he had taken a pivotal role in the Ghidorah's plans. He lied to himself saying he wouldn't mind the stares, whispered rumbles, or the others actively leaving an area whenever he was near. It hurt, but it was better than being dead.

But now he had a second chance and he was glad to have it, though the way the Alphas approached him was quite terrifying and left him a little shaken with how to respond.

‘I-I... Thank you.’

‘You have learned your lesson. I do not see why you should still be punished,’ The Queen chips gently, ‘Ghidorah’s sway and charisma is quite strong, you were not the only one affected.’

‘Could’ve tried harder to resist.’ The King snorts as his face scrunches up.

‘I won’t let it happen again." Rodan whistles as he turns to the King, frustrated at being reminded of his weakness. But at the King’s unimpressed glower he bows his head.

‘Hmm... better not.’

"I am at your service. Both your service.’ Rodan adds quickly as the King's brow furrow further as he leans forward and yet still over him, even from a distance.

‘...We'll see.’

‘Hush now," Mothra's mandibles click at her King before taking steps back, ‘Thank you Rodan. If your assistance is needed I will call for you.’ She chirps before turning away and pushing off the ground to soar into the sky, the sun's light bouncing off her thin, but powerful wings.

The King stares him down again only to leave moments later as silently as he had arrived. Rodan was in a daze, stuck between the call to fight or to fly, and not knowing which to choose as he also felt like he was going to collapse gathered up his two structures and settled them in his nest. Thankfully the humans left him alone after he came back, packing up their tinier tools and leaving only the ones in the ground and in the air that would blink red every so often. Nestled against the boiling hot cracked covering of his volcano Rodan lets himself drift off to sleep, the feeling of heaviness from before taking over.

* * *

When the Queen Alpha had said she would call on him when needed Rodan didn't believe it. He had assumed she was being cordial, like any good leader would, but after three sunsets her singsong call floats on the winds and he flies to where he is called upon.

He meets her off an island group where she asks how his shoulder was doing and he tells her shyly it was doing much better. With that they fly to a cold territory to negotiate with one of their kind that goes by the name Amhuluk, that was moving too close to human nests past the mountains. Though Rodan is more confused to why they would want to live here with how sharp and cold the air is. Truly humans are the weirdest creatures.

From then on Rodan finds himself following Mothra around the world much more. It was almost as if he was her guard (as if she needed one), but with that simple thought Rodan takes it to heart. It would be his redemption for what he had done and tried to do to her. And there was no better time for him to take his position seriously as all the flying Titans had started to become testy for command of the sky. So as Mothra preformed her duties she would sometimes have to quickly battle the others into submission with Rodan lending a helpful wing before the King showed up. Though he would not always make an appearance based on where they were. By the time the white sun in the night sky had disappeared six times, Rodan had developed a good fighting strategy with the Queen.

But more than that he had found a companion in Mothra, at least he'd like to think so. Flying with someone was so much more enjoyable than alone and he had learned a great deal from Mothra as well. When he was younger he had seen her glowing form a couple times in passing, but he never had the honor of meeting the Queen before the hibernation. What he knew of Mothra came mostly from the stories his mother told him when she returned to the nest. Now it was the reverse. On days the weather was clear the Queen would speak with him and told him of stories of his mother, of when she would take flight with her or fought and vanquished foes with the King. How she had been there to bring about Ghidorah's first defeat.

It made his chest swell with pride, but also pain in remembering his mother and what he did at the final battle. But Mothra simply batted that away with a flutter of her wings and Rodan was able to see what his mother meant when she told him that Mothra was the fiercest of them all, but was the calm that the world needed.

The Queen had also taken it upon herself to make him feel more welcomed around the Order, having him come with her to just check in on their kind. With others seeing him in her presence he could fly nearer to the others and not be ousted. He didn't gather around the others much, but when he did he wasn't ignore. He was able to perch on the ocean cliffs without Tiamat trying to douse his wings and Queztalcoatl let’s him soar above the lush forests with her like he had once before. He was so glad that he was able to have a normal existence again, all because of his benevolent Alpha Queen. 

But in his new found position Rodan didn’t realize that something else was brewing under the surface. Or more accurately that someone was grumbling under the ocean. 

**ラ**

**ド**

**ン**

The call comes early to him.

Swiftly traveling away from the rising sun Rodan finds himself flying towards a desert territory during bright midday. And with his amazing eyesight could see the fight before making landfall.

Mothra was fighting a [Kobura](https://godzilla.fandom.com/wiki/King_Cobra?file=KinguCobera.png), a mature female. He could tell from the size and the bright coloring on her open hood along with her longer bones framing her imitation tactic.

The Queen was doing quite well for herself, easily dodging out of the snake's way at every lunge and knocking the other female over with her pincers when she got too close. Rodan could even see a few puncture wounds along the Kobura’s underbelly that does have him hissing as a fleeting pang of pain aches under his armored skin. It also accounts for her slower dazed movements, but not so slow that Mothra still has to move very far out of her reach at any attack. And as Mothra moves out of the way again her size compared to her opponent becomes apparent by seeing that the length of her body was the length of the Kobura's fully open mouth!

Calling out to Mothra she dives away and the Kobura starts to slither quickly towards him. Diving low, Rodan can feel the barest scratch of rough sand from the dunes as he flaps his wings. He could see that he had created a haze around the edges of his wings, the sand and wind whipping and whistling around him. Much too late the female snake realizes that as well as she stills in her attack. Banking up and slapping his wings together, thunder echoes and knocks her back before the sandstorm he carried with him knocks her further back.

Circling back around, Rodan crackles at his opponent's misfortune. He always did love the fast paced movements of a fight. The energy that course through him as he became extremely alert and tried to keep himself alive. Rodan craved it so much. He loves it. Lives for it. It was like diving into a bubbling volcano and just feeling the rush and power flow over him.

Masterfully diving at the spiky worm's exposed underside, Rodan is too focused that he almost misses the wide arcing curl she pulls at the last moment. Curling around and around before jumping out to strike at him even though he was high in the air. With one might flap Rodan moves himself out of the way of a deadly bite and knocks back the Kobura again. But much too quickly she’s up again and with her thin tail, moving quicker then he could follow, smacks him out of the sky. The landing is painful, but not as hard as it would have been if the ground was solid. But there was no time to think about his non-injured state as the Kobura had him in her element now and was closing in! Pulling himself up Rodan awkwardly wobbles away before getting his wings right to take off again. But not before he is head-butted in a wing and crashes again, rolling through the sand dunes.

_ CCCRRHIIISSSSSS—KKUUU! _

Looking up he watches as Mothra soars over head spitting silk and encasing the snake’s head. With her thoroughly distracted Rodan takes to the sky with a thankful chirp to his Queen. With the haze of the fight dampened he looks to Mothra for their next move as the snake pulls the move she did earlier, coiling and curling in the sand, ridding herself of the silk. Looking at them both critical the snake turns from them and starts to flee from the coast, but unknowingly, towards a tiny human nest.

Looking to Mothra she begins to brighten her wings and flies higher so to come down in front of the snake to take her off balance. With her distracting and blinding the snake Rodan had one chance after she was stunned to descend, with Mothra’s lights to his back, and try a truly dangerous attack. With a menacingly beautiful cry Mothra brightens the already clear sky and Rodan lets the fight take over and it propels him to dive for the tail of the poisonous snake. Grabbing hold, and thankfully not getting caught on any of the spikes running down her back, Rodan surges up with his prey and falls backwards letting the snake free at the highest point.

With a mighty thud Rodan loops back around to see that he had knocked the Kobura out. With a triumphant cry Rodan performs a spin before joining the Queen on land as she sings to the King, telling him that their fight had finished. Finishing her call the Kubora comes around and with a fearsome shriek from Mothra the other female bows to the Queen. Wobbling closer, the defeated snake presents him with a sneer, exposing her barely hidden fangs, but he just smirks to himself for a job well done.

He listens as Mothra berates her, gently informing her of the hierarchy changes and the world they live in. With a warning to not endanger the humans or to anger her Mothra tells her of a great desert that now lies near the top of this wide landmass. Directing her that way with a final warning that she will be randomly visited, they watch her slither away until she out of Rodan’s sight. Only then does he turn to Mothra. 

‘Not to shine my own beak, but that went pretty well.’ He crows, head held high.

‘The sand is on fire.’

Looking to the Queen he holds her cerulean iridescence gaze a bit longer, before finally turning to look back. And Rodan can see that sections of the land have been windblown with a healthy smolder, but only faintly. Vaguely.

‘Yes, but not the whole desert, we have to look at the whole territory here.’ He chirrs softly,  trying to sound confident in the face of the damage.

‘I have and I can see that the sand is on fire.’ She chirps tauntingly as her antennae twitch in amusement.

‘You’re no fun.’ He warbles, taking the teasing and enjoying their banter.

But with this fight over and his one wing throbbing Rodan knows he needs to rest and soak in his nest. Before he can ask to leave he catches a glimpse of something far off on the watery horizon. Something dark beneath the surface of the water.

Turning fully, Rodan sees that the dark mass was moving towards them and the ominous feeling that comes from it tells him it was the King.

Still hesitant around the larger creature Rodan goes to ask if he could be excused only for Mothra to click at him to follow. Following at a slower pace he lands behind the Queen, but further away so he couldn't be dragged into the water. He may respect Godzilla's power, but Rodan wasn't stupid enough to get any closer. Still he couldn't help the pride he felt when Mothra commended him on his actions and even the King looked vaguely impressed. He only ever wanted to be accepted and respected. And it looked like he was finally getting it after all his hard work and helping with the Order, maybe Godzilla was finally seeing him for his incredible skills.

But much too quickly things took a turn for the worst. 

Rising from the depths, Godzilla makes his way towards Mothra’s song and to her. Surfacing he sees her standing majestically on top of a cliff edge and takes a moment to look at her vibrant colors before looking her over for any injures. Seeing none he looks past her to see the traces of where the fight took place; dunes pushed aside, craters, and river bend shapes littered the land. The land was also scorched in some areas, still burning brightly. Before he can say anything Mothra regales him with the early struggle and how Rodan had helped with the final attack. Begrudgingly Godzilla has to admit it was a feat to beat a full grown female Kobura at his young age. That has him turning his gaze to Rodan who looks to him with pride and happiness.

And his prideful eyes has Godzilla’s annoyance for the Pter surfacing viciously again, along with a need to put Rodan in his pace. 

Narrowing his eyes and grimacing at Rodan he turns his attention to Mothra and before she can do anything he bends down to lick at her fluff of fur. The surprising action freezes her and he uses it to his advantage to nudge her off her front legs. She falls back and her beautiful wings unfurl, spreading out to keep them from being damage, and in seeing his eyes stare back at him Godzilla is filled with immense pride. Knowing his Champion has his eyes on her wings and no one else's. With her lying prone Godzilla gently brushes his snout against her fur enjoying the softness before breathing on to her. 

She sighs in content, but still goes to move her legs so she can get up. Gently pushing her back he licks down her smooth middle and she chirrs happily, cooing and shivering under his tongue. More so when he purrs against her and her multi-eyes becomes a fainter blue.

It had been a while since Godzilla had time to pamper Mothra, and if it worked out as a reminder to this upstart pter who was the alpha ... well what a coincident.

Licking at her fluff again before nuzzling at her middle he fixes an intense glare with Rodan, challenging him, showing him he doesn’t know her like he does. How he never could, he never would.

Rodan sees the problem.

He spent too much time with the Queen Alpha.

He thought he was doing a good job helping Mothra as she regained her dominance of the sky, but he had become too relax in his new position as the protective beta for her. Rodan hadn't thought about it, how others might assume he was attempting a coup from the current alpha.

From Godzilla.

At least that's how he sees it, if the threatening glare from those red eyes are convey anything. Bowing low Rodan tries to convey his thoughts through his eyes.

_Please stop, I don’t want her._

Rodan wants to look away, but he doesn’t want to seem dismissive and then have to fight Godzilla for being rude against his claim. Though the scene with the soft chirps and trills were making it difficult.

_I just wanted to be a good beta._

**ラ**

**ド**

**ン**

In the aftermath of Incident Zero it became a required mandate that the _Argo_ be dispatched whenever Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan - the Big Three as they're now called - were supposed to be in one place. Though more often than not, it was Godzilla and Mothra or Mothra and Rodan, but there had been occasions when all three were in the same place. Mostly they were on call to recorded the actions of the Titans, but also to send aid for possible collateral damage.

As they cross over central Africa's rainforests, Colonel Foster makes another circuit around the deck before stopping at the head of data table to look to the left wall of screens. All of them were cued up to the drones' footage being broadcasted so they could witness the battle they were on there way to. She had dispatched the _Argo_ because of a newly awaken Titan. One they hadn't know about.

Described as Titanus Uraeus – codename Wadjet after Egyptian myths – was thought to be extinct since Monarch only ever found drawings and three skeletons of the snake Titan since it's founding. It had awoken from the depths Lake Shala after a small earthquake seems to have woken it up and moved in an southern direction and started moving through Awasa. But before too much damage was caused Mothra appeared and knocked it over, creating another threat that had the snake following her easterly into Somalia. 

“Oh, enter player two." Stanton pipes up and the crew that could turns to either screens as a piercing screech fills the hull.

They all watch as Rodan sweeps low and hits Wadjet with a thunderclap and a wave of wind and sand. The battle soon turns one-sided and not in Rodan's favor, but Mothra sets in. Together they defeated the snake in a spectacular fashion that even the colonel has to smirk at the maneuvers they've pulled. Soon after monitoring probes begin to sound off as Godzilla neared the surface, just off the coast of the easternmost point of Africa. The other two Titans must have sensed him as well because they fly out to the cliffs to meet him as he rises up from the ocean. Everything seemed fine making Foster believe she had made the right call to direct their course for Awasa instead of Somalia, only to everyone’s shock, Godzilla flips Mothra over.

What happens next leaves everyone speechless.

“What – What is happening?” Colonel Foster asks as the drones zoom in on the scene.

“Told you I was right,” Barnes calls out and the Colonel rolls her eyes at this insanity, “They doin' something _nasty_.” 

“Dr. Russel?” Foster questions as she turns to their behaviorist.

“He’s clearly marking her. Or scenting her, but I’m not sure why. Or why now.” Dr. Russel answers her as he gets up from his station to walk closer to the screens.

He watches as Godzilla press his snout into Mothra’s fibrous fluff of chitin scales and breaths deeply into them. This form of grooming seems to be alright with Mothra as she allows it and no moves to ended it, her musical chirps blending in with Godzilla's subvocal purring that the _Argo_ was picking up. Mark also noticed, looking from another angle, that Godzilla was glaring fiercely at the subdue Rodan, like he was say ‘back the hell up’ or ‘know your place.’

For all the Titans’ similarities to modern animals there were still a great number of unknowns when confronted with these amazing monsters. 

“He is definitely keeping heavy eye contact.” Dr. Chen says as she studies the feed as well.

"Someone’s jealous,” Rick laughs in a singsong tone.

“They seem to like that,” Mark talks over him, but mostly to himself. In catching the confused look from the colonel he explains, “The direct eye contact.” 

“Much like other animals, direct eye contact is important for when they want to convey emotions, dominance,” Chen adds.

“And it’s not the first either. He stared us down after we revived him and later when the Titans came to him. And he’s shown to have a good memory in recognizing us as a whole along with the Titans.”

”Especially Mothra.” Rick adds with a sly grin.

As Chen sighs in annoyance Mark can’t help the exasperated head shake at the comment.

“Yes, and all his interactions with Mothra.”

“Well how do you tell who’s won?” Foster asks, taking full advantage of the info dump mode the scientists were in.

“I’d say the one who ends up crouching lower.” Barnes points to the screens where Rodan stays crouched and seems to bend lowered, starting to melt the rocks and sand around him as his wings brush against the ground.

“He’s not wrong. Not really," Mark acknowledges the officer, "You can see how Rodan, how he's not only squatting low, but also lightly shaking his wings too. Showing submission.”

“Definitely reminding him who’s queen she is.” Rick throws in as he goes back to archiving the live stream of today's encounter.

Everyone nods to themselves in agreement until a disgruntled 'hmph' has Foster looking to their mythologist.

“Something to share with the class Chen?” 

"Mothra is the Queen of Monsters, not simply Godzilla’s queen.” She says decisively.

Just as she makes the comment Mothra rears up and brings her pincers down harshly onto Godzilla's snout and shrieks loudly at him before smacking him again. Seeing Godzilla cowed she turns to Rodan screeches at him and he quickly flies off making his way across the Indian ocean.

“Told you,” Chen smirks, “No one's queen.”

**ラ**

**ド**

**ン**

Mothra is shocked by the quick action taken by her Paragon and finds herself flipping over, unbalance, onto her back. As she spreads her wings, so not to injure them, she looks up and sees him covered in a rich emerald green before he’s nuzzling at her collar fur gently. Godzilla also pins her down with a roguish gaze and still stun she just lays there. The green then morphs back to pink and then a robust fuchsia that she knows is pure adoration. Licking a line up her abdomen in short soft burst chirrs escapes her mandibles as his lights over takes Mothra and she lets herself be swept away in the sudden sweet intensity.

But why now though.

Not that she cares at the moment. It’s so difficult to think when he grooms her so — _Rodan!_

Arching up, Mothra slams her shorter pincers down against Godzilla’s snout - Twice! And does not feel any guilty scraping his sensitive snout as he rears back with a snort and shakes his head to rid himself of that uncomfortable feeling.

Looking back behind her Mothra sees Rodan engulfed in a dim brown that she knew expressed his shame as he crouches before them, before Godzilla.

Turning back Godzilla Mothra sees he has the audacity to be gleaming withsmug delight before she screams at him to quit his hatchling behavior immediately. His eyes narrow in a way that she bows he’s pouting before staying rebuffed and turning away from her, which is perfectly fine with her!

Grooming her fur to its original state and making sure her wings are folded properly, Mothra finally turns to a flustered Rodan, who is trying his best not to look her directly. With an irritate sigh toward Godzilla she graciously tells Rodan he is free to go and he shoots off the cliff like a meteor across the sky.

‘I don’t know what you were trying to do, but I hope you’re not proud of it! Embarrassing ones’ Queen Alpha in such a position. Your own Champion. Unthinkable!’ She hisses as she continues to groom herself.

‘Just showin’ him not to think somethin' else.’ 

Pausing at the gruff rumbles Mothra turns back to her Paragon with judgement in her eyes, only to take in hisyellowed lightand see this wasn’t just careless dominance he was really concerned she would leave. But why would she when he was here for her.

‘You must know by now I do not look at any other titan like that.’

Reaching out with one of her shorter forelimb Godzilla comes closer and bows he head to her allowing her to stroke the side of his jaw. With a quiet huff his eyes soften before he closes them and slightly leans into the touch as much as he could, his light turned back to pink.

‘I know ...It’s just ...He can be up there... With you.’ He rumbles in his own tired way.

‘And yet, I rather be down here with you.’ Mothra answers her King.

‘Mmhm... Good... I’m glad...... I’m sorry.’ Godzilla huffs softly.

Mothra chitters to herself and leans forward so her mandibles could nip at the top of his snout gently, accepting his apology.

Then an idea forms in her mind and she steps back from the edge of the cliff, raising her wings up high and letting the sun’s rays reflect her wonderfully colorful wings and her King’s memorizing sunset eyes, for him.

‘My Champion is as gorgeous as the sea.’ He grunts in pride.

‘Why thank you my indestructible Paragon,’ She trills charmingly, ‘And since you’re so eager to prove yourself to me.’

Stepping away to the ledge furthest from her King Mothra lets her abdomen sway as she tilts her wings back and forth just so before she looks back and makes them flutter rapidly and lighting up her wings with her own power flickering them in a teasing way before ending her display. She chirps a set of deep tones and watches as Godzilla’s eyes grow wide in surprise only to narrow in a predacious way as the vibrant purpleblends with the darker fushia.

‘Come and catch me my King.’ She chirps impishly and pushes off the ground and soars into the sky.

Dipping below the clouds she can see the speedily moving shadow of her King just before the watery surface and purrs to herself in delight. It had been quite long since their last chase and she was planning to make it worthwhile.

**Author's Note:**

> Mothra’s just a little tease (¬‿¬)ʃƪ and Godzilla is still a little testy about losing his throne for a day. Also this is the [image](https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=manga&illust_id=75168894) I saw on Pixiv that inspired me to write the end.
> 
> And I love Rodan. I really do and I’m so happy people are loving him and his personality! And I think it’s cute that he gets a beau again, even if it’s a three-headed planet destroying maniac (that kinda makes it better ;). But through all the love it doesn’t mean I’m not going to make him the butt of some jokes.  
He’s trying to be a good subject/beta, but all his actions are coming back to bite him in the wings. But no worries, he'll have a better time in a following fic.
> 
> Also my headcanon for Rodan acting like a somewhat cocky teenager is from watching video of Dougherty at Monsterpalooza and later in the dvd commentary. Dougherty said he likes to envision his Rodan as an egg left behind by the Rodans from the movie Rodan (1956). Also if you watched the special features on the dvd there's a pre-visualization in the underwater city feature where there was a relief of Godzilla, Mothra, and a Rodan fighting against Ghidorah. With all that I like to think of Rodan as a younger Titan in his prime, like early twenty(thousands) and imagine a fledgling Rodan hearing stories from his mother and now wants to be awesome and prove himself, but is a little too overeager at times.


End file.
